Reinforced molded building block



l l/7 L/4 m (/7 INVENTOR,

Oct. 19, 1937.

C. E. TERRELL ET AL REINFORCED MOLDED BUILDING BLOCK Filed June 1, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Terre/7 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 19, 1937 UNlT-ED STATES REINFORCED MOLDEDI BUILDING BLOCK Charles E. Terrell and Robert D. ONeil, Birmingham, Ala.

Application Junei, 193s, serial No. 82,885

7 Claims.

Our present invention relates to molded, reinforced building blocks, suitable for the construction of walls, ceilings, floors and other portions of buildings or structures, and which are characterized by the provision of inner and outer slabs tied together in spaced relationship so that when laid they will provide a continuous opening or air space in the wall, ceiling, or floor to effectively insulate same and provide convenient space for the reception of pipes, wiring conduits, and heating, cooling and Ventilating ducts.

Our invention is particularly concerned with the manner of reinforcing the block, of forming the ties which connect its spaced slabs, and of adapting the reinforced slabs to be made light and thin and to be readily aligned and joined along abutting edges by interlocking tongue and groove joint elements, which provide joints that are effectively sealed against leakage.

One distinctive feature of our invention lies in the provision of the tongue joint element as a part of the metal reinforcement for one of the block slabs, this tongue being formed by the exposed margin of an embedded metallic plate or sheet reinforcement which extends along one or more edges of the slab, preferably continuously along a horizontal and vertical edge thereof.

A further feature consists in the forming of notches in the horizontal metallic tongues adapted to receive complemental projections by means of which'they center and tie in correct break-joint relation adjacent blocks in contiguous courses and adapt the blocks to be readily laid by unskilled labor.

Our invention further contemplates forming the block slab that carries the metallic tongue elements with complementa] grooves opposite the tongues and designing the metallic reinforcement itself to present tips which project into the groove and are complemental to the notches in the tongue joint element. Thus the metallic reinforcement performs the additional functions of providing the blocks with aligning and locking tongue and groove joint elements which take the place of dowels in centering and aligning the blocks as the wall is laid up, and of interposing metallic joint strips which abut throughout the wall joints and surround the exposed slab of each block as it is laid up in the wall, etc.

Our invention further contemplates, as a preferred arrangement, forming the tie elements and the metallic reinforcement for both slabs of a block from a metallic plate embedded in one slab to reinforce it and form its tongue and having its center portion cut and shaped to provide both the tie membersgand the metallic reinforce- ,ment for the other slab.

Our invention further contemplates -deforming the reinforcing plate, to provide the reinforcing and tie members for the block slabs with its parts so shaped and arranged that the deformed reinforcing and tie elements can be nested and shipped in compact form, thus permitting the blocks to be readily molded at the job.

Our invention further comprises novel details of construction of the tie members which are inclined both laterally and lengthwise toward the center of the block andprovided with integral bent brace members Which engage the parallel reinforcing elements for vthe inner and outer slabs and serve to hold them firmly in position during the molding operation and brace theV ties in the finished block;

YOurinvention further comprisesthe novel details of construction and arrangements of parts which, in their preferred embodiment only, are hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had -to the accompanying drawings, in Which:-

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation showing a portion of a Wall made with building blocks embodying applicants invention with a part of the blocks having the composition laying outwardly from the reinforcing plates in the outer block slabs broken away to show the continuous abutment and interlock of the marginal edges of the metallic reinforcement in the laid up wall.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the blocks.

Fig. 3 is a plan View; and

Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view enlarged showing a metallic reinforcement blank with the shear lines laid out for cutting therefrom the reinforcement for both slabs and their connecting ties.

Figs. 6 and '7 are plan and end views respectively of the metallic reinforcement assembly as formed from. the plate or sheet sheared in accordance with Fig. 5.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings we have shown merely a conventional rectangular block comprising a slab I0, which is generally the outer or exposed slab, and a slab Il, which is generally the inside slab, these slabs being formed of any suitable moldable material adapted to be poured into suitable molds and allowed to set or harden therein. As shown, the slabs are of equal size.

The slab I Il is molded about a reinforcing metal sheet or plate I2 Which in its preferred form corresponds in shape and size with a side of the slab IU, as will appear more clearly in Fig. 2, and this reinforcing sheet is set in the mold so as to project along one end edge of the slab-to form a tongue I3 and along the top edge of the slab to form a tongue I4. The slab is formed along its lower edge commencing at the lower edge of the reinforcement with a groove I5 adapted to receive the tongues I4 of Yblocksinthe underlying course. 'I'he lower edge of the plate I2 lies along the upper edge of this bottom groove and its embedded end edge lies along the inner edge of the u groove I8 formed in one end edge of the slab I0".

The plate I2 is formed withprojections or centering lug elements I6 on its under edge which depend into the groove I5 and stand 'opposite to, and are complemental in shape with, the" notchesrIT formed in the tonguevmember ,I'4...'

These tongues and projections I6 and I'I are spaced equi-distantly from the center and endsv of the block and thus are adaptedto center, align and interlock blocks inadjacentcourses which are laid at break-joints. 1

The groove I5, described along the bottom edge of the slab I0, is continuous with the groove I8 in the opposite edge of said slabfrom that carrying the tongue I3. The arrangement of the reinforcing plate and its tongues I3 and I4 in the slab IE) is such that when blocks are laid upland interlocked the marginal edges of the plates I2 will be in continuous abutment throughout the wall joints, thereby presenting not only a tongue and groove joint for the ready assembling-and centering of the blocks, but also forming a practically continuous metallic Wall acrossall exposed joints and in reality giving the full effect of a metallic wallformed by abuttingA plates, which are sealed and enveloped in plastic composition to prevent direct exposure to the elements. Y In Fig. 5 we show the reinforcementV blank I2 formed from sheet metal, preferably galvanized stock. Here the sheet blank with the exception of its notches I1 and tongue I6 conforms to the shape of the exposed face of the block'and forms the stock lying Within the confines of rits marginal edges. We form the reinforcementvand ties for the rear slab by cutting it along the indicated shear lines. To form theupper tie and reinforcing element we make cuts along the parallel lines 20 and 2l to form a rectangular strip left free at one end by the cross cut 22gand cut partially free at the other end by the segment shaped notchout 23 which leaves a snglejconnection between the stripl and plate along 'the dotted line 24. It will be noted that the removal of stock by the notchout 23 Yprovides one edge parallel with the cuts 20 and 2l, but its other edge is inclined outwardly toward the adjacent end of the plate to provide `an angularv edge 25. The section of the molded composition appearing in the broken away slabs of Fig. 1 shows` clearly the outline of stock removed to form each tie and reinforcement cut from the blank.V

The cuts above described are formed in the upper section of the plate. Corresponding reversely disposed cuts 26a, 2Ia, 22a, 23a, and 25a are formed in the lower section of the plate, the only difference being that the notchout 23a in the lower part is spaced much further from the adjacent end edge of the plateforming the tongue I3 than is the notchout 23. Each of the longi-V tudinal strips cut from the plate I2fin the manner described is further subdivided bya longitudinal cut 26 or 26a extending from near its'free end edge to an inclined end cut 21 or 21a, the latter merging into the cut 20 or 20a, as the case may be, near the center thereof. Each tongue 28, or 28a thus formed is adapted to be bent up Y from the level of its respective strip end 29 or `followsz-As viewed in Fig. 5, the key is formed from the upper strip 32 by bending down a triangularshaped leg 33 along the dotted line 34, and bending up a similar leg 35 along the dotted linev 3S which is'parallel with 34. The base of the leg 33 is set to engage under Vand take a brace againstV the plate I2 when the key is bent down along the line 24, and in like manner the base of leg 35 will engage over and form a brace against theend 29 when it is bent along the dotted line 31.

' `The lower strip is similarly bent and shaped to forrn the other Ykey element 32a with its brac-' ing legs 34a and 35a and the reinforcing elements 28a and 29a for'the slab II. When the keys are deformed and bent Adown they brace the slab reinforcements in correct position to be set in the molds, it being noted that the keys 32 and 32a do not stand'normal to the planes of the slabs they ,connectV but incline both laterally and lon-V gitudinally of the plate toward its center, and

when the slabs'V have beenmolded about the reinforcing elements the ends of the triangular braceV legs 34, 35,'34a, .35ar become embedded v in the slabs and thereby the keys are converted into light,:strong rigid tie elements substantially 'Z-shape in cross isection. By bending the legs 34, 35, 34a, 35a in so that they become braces interposed betwen the adjacent faces of the reinforcing elements I2, 29, 29a'these reinforcing elements in the deformed reinforcement are braced apart against collapse in two directions. The inclination, both lateral and longitudinal, given the keys 32, 32a has an important advantage in that it permits the completely shaped reinforcement and tie assemblies for blocks to be nested for compact and economic shipment.

The manner in which the blocks are molded with the reinforcing and tie elements embedded therein so as to form the interlocking tongues of a tongue and groove joint need not be described :interlocked at break-joints in the notches I1 of the two adjacent Vunderlying block tongues I4,V

all as is shown more clearly in Fig. 1, which also makes clear that the exposed marginal edges of the reinforcement plates I2 for the slabs Ill stand edge to edge in abutment throughout Vthe whole wall, and yet these plates are entirely protected from exposure to the elements by the plastic composition except where they span the joints Yand even there it is contemplated that they may be laid with a suitable plastic seal 36 to seal them in the joints against exposure on either side to air and-moisture. The slabs I0 being effectively reinforced in the manner described, and braced by the ties to the rear slabs II, the blocks will provid-e a relatively thin strong, easily laid, accurately aligned, water-proof jointed wall, and by the term wall we include any po-rtion of a building which the blocks may be adapted to build.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not solimited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim isz- 1. A molded block having incorporated therein a plate reinforcement comprising an exposed notched edge and on an opposite edge projections complemental to the notches in said notched edge, the block being grooved to expose said projections and receive said notched edge of an adjacent block into interlocking relationship with said tongues thereby both to center the superimposed blocks and to interlock them against endwise displacement.

2. A block comprising a slab molded with a groove extending along twol connecting edges, and reinforcing strips embedded in the block and projecting as tongues along the other two edges, the tongues and grooves being complemental and forming tongue and groove joint elements that together extend continuously about the block edges, the joints between the reinforcing strips being exposed at break joints with the block joints.

3. A wall composed of molded blocks having sheet metal reinforcement substantially comforming in marginal outline with the exposed side of the block and set off-center therein to expose two marginal edges for tongue joint members,

grooves which are co-extensive with said tongue members and expose the other marginal edges of said reinforcement, the blocks being laid with their metal reinforcement substantiallyin continuous abutment along the inner edges of the grooves and the blocks substantially in continuous abutment along the outer edges of the grooves.

4. A metallic reinforcement and tie assembly for a molded block having spaced inner and outer slabs, comprising a metallic plate for reinforcing one slab having tie elements for connecting both slabs cut and bent therefrom, and metallic reinforcing elements for the other slab carried by the free ends of said tie elements.

5. A metallic reinforcement according to claim 4, in which the ti-e elements havebracing members bent therefrom and interposed between the slab reinforcements at each end thereof.

6. A metallic reinforcement according to claim 4, in which the tie elements have bracing members bent therefrom and interposed between the slab reinforcements at each end thereof and disposed to give the ties a Z-shape in transverse cross section.

7. In a block comprising spaced parallel elements, a sheet metal plate reinforcement having a continuous marginal edge substantially conforming to the surface dimensions of the block element adapted to be exposed to the Weather and embedded therein in off-center relation to provide two tongues which project from said block element substantially the length of two joining vertical and horizontal edges thereof, and tie and anchor means for connecting the spaced block elements, that are cut out of the center portion of said plate.,

CHARLES E. TERRELL. ROBERT D. ON'EIL. 

